This is the natural way to feed a baby from birth to WEANING. Human milk is an ideal food, containing a proper balance of nutrients to promote ideal growth and development as well as an essential supply of antibodies to protect the infant against infections. Breast feeding also strengthens the physical bond between mother and child. For the first few weeks, feeding should be on demand and babies can be very demanding – not sticking to the formula feeding rule of taking a feed every 3–4 hours. In fact, for a short time in their early weeks, babies may demand a breast feed up to 12 times daily before settling down to a more practical pattern. While nearly every woman is capable of successful breast feeding, cultural distaste, discouragement from relatives or health-care providers and the pressures of modern life, especially for working mothers, can make it hard to continue breast feeding. Sometimes infections occur, producing soreness and even an abscess. UNICEF published its Baby Friendly Initiative in 1994, updated in 2012 to provide advice and set standards on how to encourage breast feeding. NHS maternity units are encouraged to seek accreditation under the initiative. Mothers can seek advice from their midwife, health visitor or local National Childbirth Trust counsellor.